Page 113 of Maybe We Can Fake It

I stand here, rooted to the spot, slowly realizing that I may have just made the biggest mistake of my life.

May steps in front of me, between me and my dad. She doesn’t say anything, but her face screams of betrayal. It makes me feel like such a piece of shit that if lightning struck me down right now, I would think I deserved it. With a slow shake of her head, she turns and jogs off to catch up with her dad.

Then Elise and Grant are in front of me, looking confused and disappointed at the same time. When they walk away too, the full weight of what happened sinks in.

I ruined everything. I ruined me and Brenden, and I let May’s grandparents know we’ve been lying this whole time, which could ruin his relationship with them. I was supposed to help him, not make things worse.

And my dad. How am I supposed to explain this to him? I have no clue if he believes the crap I said about everything being fake, but I don’t think I have it in me to keep lying to him if he questions me.

I was going to tell him.

I was going to come out to him so I could be with Brenden. But I didn’t expect him to show up like this. I panicked. And now...

This is all too much for me to handle.

Avoiding my dad’s stare, I mumble, “I need to get back to work.” And then I leave, like a coward, tail between my legs.

A few minutes ago, I was thinking about how right everything felt. How things were turning out better for me than I ever expected. But I messed it up so quickly. I should have known I’m not meant for that kind of happiness.

It’s like I always thought. I’m the type of guy who’s meant to be alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

BRENDEN

I’manidiot.

I’m such a pathetic fucking idiot.

I knew better. Knew Travis and I were only faking a relationship. And still, I let myself fall for him, let myself believe he actually had feelings for me too. But shit, can you blame me? He’s so damn hot and wonderful and kind. I guess I already knew all that, but when he showed me his secret soft side... I was a fucking goner.

It truly felt like we were developing a real connection, something deeper than friendship. I didn’t think we were just faking it anymore. But I’m an idiot.

No matter what, I never thought Travis would hurt me. And that’s what he did.

He panicked. I get that. But even if his dad caught him off guard, and he didn’t mean to hurt me, the end result is the same. It feels like he punched me right in the heart.

I can’t breathe.

Although the fact that I just ran my ass all the way home is probably the culprit for that. Running isnotsomething I do. Not physically, at least.

Fuck, I should have run away at the first hint of me catching feelings for him. I should’ve never gotten in this deep. The night that I cried, the night he held me until I fell asleep, and then held me in the morning while he fucked me so slowly...

I should’ve known I’d never be the same after that.

Foolishly, I let myself start picturing us together years from now. I pictured a life with him after May went off to college. A life where I wouldn’t be alone.

And of course it was too good to be true. Everyone leaves me. How could I forget that?

I’m leaning against the wall in the foyer, still desperately trying to catch my breath, when May bursts through the door.

“Dad! What the heck?” She bends over, putting her hands on her knees and panting for a few moments before she straightens back up. “I didn’t know you could run like that.”

“Me neither.” But when an animal is wounded, it will do anything necessary to get away.

She steps forward and wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me as she pulls me away from the wall. “I’m so sorry,” she says softly, her cheek pressed to my chest.

“Nothing to be sorry for. I’m fine. Everything’s all good.”

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